Chapter 553: Openly Eavesdropping on Gossip
"What... What?!"
After hearing those words, Neji took two steps back, his face filled with shock.
The impact this had on him was no less than when he had previously used his Byakugan to witness what Boruto had done to Naruto.
But in Ao's eyes, Neji's reaction meant that after learning he loved Kakashi, Neji's heart had been completely shattered, finally giving up his improper thoughts about him.
Ao immediately let out a sigh of relief and hurried to reinforce the lie, afraid that Neji's mental fortitude was too strong and his willpower too firm.
"Not only that, when I was training in Sage Mode just now, the only person on my mind was Kakashi! If I can't be with Kakashi in this lifetime, I'd rather remain single forever!"
Shocking!
Kakashi stood there frozen.
He had never imagined that after living for more than twenty years, the first genuine confession he ever received would come from a male Kirigakure ninja he had never even met.
Judging by the voice, the man wasn't even young. There was a good chance he had been among the Kirigakure forces that had hunted Kakashi and Rin back then.
'Seriously... who are you? Why are you acting like you can't live without me?'
Kakashi was completely bewildered.
Since they were far away from everyone else, Ao figured that no matter what he said, only the three people present would ever know. He simply threw away his dignity and started blurting out every outrageous line he could think of.
The more he spoke, the farther Neji backed away, looking more and more devastated. Since it was so effective, Ao naturally had to keep going if he wanted to protect his innocence.
As for Kakashi, whom he was using to divert the disaster...
Ao hadn't ignored him either. He noticed Kakashi was equally stunned.
He guessed Kakashi simply hadn't expected his "prey" to confess first and had fallen into confusion. He had to seize this opportunity and keep talking while Kakashi was still flustered.
However...
Every single word Ao said was heard clearly by everyone outside.
Including Chōjūrō.
Among the three people training in Sage Mode, Kurosuki Raiga was the most serious.
First of all, he was a married man, not a virgin, so he understood these matters quite well.
Secondly, Kurosuki Raiga desperately desired power.
It was precisely because he lacked strength that he had been mercilessly beaten and had even lost his Ninja Sword.
So this time, when faced with a power like Sage Mode, he naturally pursued it with everything he had.
Besides, this shortcut to Sage Mode didn't really have any side effects.
—Well, objectively speaking, it might have side effects for other people, but for Kurosuki Raiga, it genuinely didn't.
As mentioned before, Kurosuki Buntan was around Sarada's age, so there was no way she could be the daughter of Kurosuki Raiga, who had died before the events of Shippuden.
Unless Kurosuki Buntan was some miraculous child who had stayed inside her mother's womb for several extra years.
Then there was Ao.
No one knew whether Ao was a virgin or not. But one thing is certain: he isn't married.
Still, considering Ao's age, even if he'd never eaten pork, he'd at least seen pigs run.
Only Chōjūrō was young, shy...and a virgin.
Chōjūrō had actually been there for quite a while without even starting his training. He was still fiddling with his Ninja Sword.
If Hiramekarei didn't lack the same hole as the Executioner's Blade, people might have suspected Chōjūrō was trying something rather strange.
In short, since Chōjūrō hadn't begun training at all, when Ao caused a commotion, he naturally came out immediately to see what had happened. There was no need for him to straighten his clothes or wash his hands first.
After coming outside, Chōjūrō was forced to join the gossip squad to figure out what was going on.
The 'Listening to the Wind's Song' developed by Temari had both single-target and group versions. Matsuri directly activated the small-area group version, allowing everyone within its range to hear every word and sound coming from the three of them.
After Ao confessed to Kakashi, everyone's eyes turned toward Chōjūrō.
"How could this happen...? Ao-senpai is actually..."
Chōjūrō looked completely incredulous.
"You really didn't know anything?"
Pakura looked at Chōjūrō suspiciously.
This Kirigakure ninja looked like a complete submissive bottom. Pakura seriously suspected he was also the relationship-powered type.
This time, both the Mizukage and the guy named Ao had sent him here together to train in Sage Mode. There was a good chance those two already had some kind of relationship.
As for Kurosuki Raiga...
There was no need to mention him. Just like Zabuza, he always had a cute little femboy by his side. There was no room for doubt anymore—the evidence was already conclusive.
"It's true! I really didn't know! Ao-senpai is a war hero who fought in the Third Great Ninja War. He's loyal to the village. He's a good person. He..."
Chōjūrō desperately tried to defend Ao, but he was so flustered that his words came out in a jumble.
But every unbearable sentence transmitted through 'Listening to the Wind's Song' turned all of Chōjūrō's explanations into nothing more than excuses.
"I get it now. I remember that when Kakashi was younger, he was once hunted by Kirigakure ninja. They say his teammate, Nohara Rin, died during that chase."
"Could Ao have been part of that squad? Maybe while Kakashi was unconscious, he fell for Kakashi's good looks. Then after leaving, he spent all these years unable to let go, always longing for him..."
Yukata from the Gossip Trio voiced her astonishing theory.
As for how they knew these old secrets...
Normally, there would have been no way.
But now there was the 'Limited Tsukuyomi' series, whose stories could be compared against the actual history of the ninja world.
For example, in one story, the Four-Tails hugged Rōshi with a blissful expression and said, "I want you to call my name every single day."
From that scene alone, several key pieces of information could be deduced.
The Four-Tails' jinchūriki was Rōshi.
Rōshi and the Four-Tails had experienced an important event involving the topic of "names."
As for whether the real Rōshi had a furry fetish...
There was no need to deny it outright. Better to leave a question mark for now.
By analyzing the events in the 'Limited Tsukuyomi' world this way, they had managed to uncover many pieces of ninja history that ordinary people would never know.
Of course, the Gossip Trio mainly read the 'Limited Tsukuyomi' series for all the bizarre and juicy gossip.
"That's impossible! It can't be! Ao-senpai was never part of the Kirigakure squad that hunted Kakashi! That squad was acting under the orders of Yagura-sama while he was being controlled."
"And... I'll just tell you outright. Ao-senpai wears a mask because one of his eyes is a Byakugan. It was a trophy he obtained during the Third Great Ninja War."
"The unit Ao fought against was the Konoha squad led by Uchiha Shisui, not Kakashi!"
In order to clear Ao's name, Chōjūrō even revealed that Ao possessed a Byakugan.
Though it didn't really matter.
After spending enough time together at such close range, it was only a matter of time before everyone found out anyway.
Ao couldn't become intangible, nor could he phase through his mask or hide in a private dimension eating curry rice.
"So that's how it is."
Matsuri nodded thoughtfully.
"That's good..."
Chōjūrō let out a sigh of relief.
Finally.
He had finally managed to clear Ao-senpai's name.
"Then Ao's beloved must have been part of the squad chasing Kakashi and was killed by Kakashi. Ao originally hated Kakashi as the man who killed the person he loved, but over time, that hatred gradually turned into love."
"Then Ao discovered that, just like him, Kakashi had also transplanted someone else's eye, and little by little, he began developing feelings for him..."
Matsuri continued.
(End of this chapter)